Canton Book

[1sttimecaller]

Typically when the canton numbers come out, there are posts everywhere on the board. This time around, nary a whimper.
Could be that the one station responsible for most of the posts lost their butts?!?!

Who won Christmas in Canton? Burl Ives on WHOF or the Pussycat Dolls on WHBC/FM? Winner: WHOF

WHBC-FM - Lost the Christmas battle and multiple shares in all dayparts. They kept their top ranking, but there is no longer breathing room at the top. At the current rate, they will be overtaken in the Spring, either by K105 or WHOF. The cume is waayyyy down for a station that did all Christmas. Moving to Hot AC with Q92 and WKDD in the market was a brillant move. Well, that and hiring all rock jocks. If you look at them on a graph, it's down, down, down. The morning show performed especially poor. Lost both upper and lower demos in Am drive.


WHBC-AM - Got beat in most dayparts by both WHLO, and WNIR. In Middays they tied with WINW. (yes, that WINW) Had some strength with the Indians and Buckeyes. Mornings are the highest daypart. The numbers look like they shut the transmitter off 10am-7pm to save energy. Did they?

WHOF- Grew by 2-3 shares, overtook sister stations WKDD and WRQK in Adults. Mornings/middays are the major players here. Could end up top 3 in the spring overall.

WZKL - Flat to down, huge 18-34 Numbers. Deluca appears to be grabbing listeners from Mess 94.1. Female numbers are huge, male demos down. Looks like the guys went over to WRQK.

WKDD - Flat to Down, mornings were off.

WRQK- #1 males 18-49 every daypart. Bob and Tom made a rebound.

WQXK and WQMX- according to the numbers everybody in canton stopped listening to them. Right, sure.

WONE- Still huge numbers but now #2 in males/rock behind WRQK.

Morning shows:

The biggest gains were WHOF and WZKL. WHBC-FM lost another 3 shares. WKDD lost 2 shares.

 

[OhReally?]

WHOF- Grew by 2-3 shares, overtook sister stations WKDD and WRQK in Adults.

So? You're comparing a flat-out AC station to a very Hot AC and a rock station?!?! 3 completely different stations -- 3 completely different target audiences. Not comparable.

WZKL - Flat to down, huge 18-34 Numbers. Deluca appears to be grabbing listeners from Mess 94.1. Female numbers are huge, male demos down. Looks like the guys went over to WRQK.

Uhh...heeeelllooooo???!!? Do you even know the target demos for CHR and Rock? Obviously you don't. SO the males went to 'RQK and 'ZKL had huge female numbers. That's the way it should be.

WQXK and WQMX- according to the numbers everybody in canton stopped listening to them. Right, sure.

More proof of how archaic and unreliable Arbitron is.

The biggest gains were WHOF and WZKL. WHBC-FM lost another 3 shares. WKDD lost 2 shares.

It appears WHOF is gaining listeners from WHBC who feel abandoned by their more focused format. I wouldn't be surprised if they (WHBC) expected an audience shift when they decided to go for their current format. Peronally, I think they're musical presentation sounds tons better than the all-over-the-road crap they had before under their former PD.

 

[Speaker of Truth]

WHBC-FM did not ''keep their top ranking''...WHBC-AM beat them in 12+..

WHBC-FMs book may have been an even bigger disaster then the Fall 2001 book where it all began to come apart at the seams..

Mix 94.1s morning show dropped anywhere from three to five shares in some key demos--including P 25-54 and W 25-54..their morning show dragged everything down with them..every daypart across the board..including Beaverkettle holdover ''Kayleigh Kriss'', the last remaining member of the ''old'' Mix 94.1.., who may have pulled her worst numbers ever..

Mix could fall to third or fourth in 12+ by July, when the Spring book comes out..its certainly possible at this point..

Watch NextMedia go into full out panic mode..and maybe, finally, sell the combo off at a fire sale price just to be rid of the whole mess..

 

[airwaveobserver]

The Mix Morning show is a disaster.  They are not focused, smooth, funny, or entertaining.  They are dragging the whole station down. 

Sarah Kay sounds horrible and never has anything interesting, or funny to say, even though she throws her valley girl slur into almost every minute of the show.  Her lack of experience is painful and obvious.  She's the best they could find?

Rik couldn't find an interesting topic, if his life depended on it.  Favorite Christmas cookies?  Favorite pizza?  Suggestions on where he should get his hair done?  Favorite movie music?  The topics get more boring every day.  No show handles callers as poorly as they do.

Rik and Sarah are about as opposite as they come.  They have nothing in common and it shows. 

I can't believe anyone can stand more than two minutes of a boring Mix morning.  Can anyone over there think their morning show is compelling, or even mildly entertaining?

 

[rebbe]

Hey Airwaveobserver, very interesting thoughts. So. imagine you are the PD,what would be your answer for mornings? Are you and John Baylor, "Smarter Then a Fifth Grader", or do you need a "cheat sheet" to win? Comments are so great, I for one, would love to hear ideas. Who knows, maybe one of you will find yourselves back at station and not on the sidelines.

 

[Radiologist]

My answer to the ever lasting problem of "how to beat the HBC combo" in Canton has always been this...

Add up the 12+ shares of the Country stations that reach the Canton Metro. Combined, the stations add up to a 13 share and none of them are actually licensed to or focus on Canton.

Put a Contemporary, Hip Country station on a stick licensed to Canton. Focus a lot of stuff on the area High Schools. Sponsor a country artist at the Ribs Burn-off, etc., etc.

Anyway, that's what I've always thought would work in Canton. Canton might look like a "yuppie" town, but them there yuppies like their Country & Western!

And don't say, it's been tried before with "Canton Country."

 

[john23]

I wholeheartedly agree with the country idea. I do have to give credit to WHOF though for pulling some of the best elements from the old 1480 and 94.1 to arrive at a pretty decent 5 share...and definite potential for even more.

 

[kentuckymedia]

I really think a well programmed country station called CANTON'S COUNTRY could do really well!

 

[AugC]

Congrats to ZKL target demo numbers!!! Rob Mckenzie and scott adams really have got the weekends pegged! Need to get Mckenzie back on overnights.

 

[Speaker of Truth]

''Canton might look like a "yuppie" town, but them there yuppies like their Country & Western! ''

Canton OH is a slum..nothing more..why WHBC-AM and FM continue to focus on Canton is beyond comprehension..

Target Jackson Township, Green, and the surronding suburbs..Clear Channel figured that out years ago, and they focused on the burbs..and are cleaning NextMedia's clock in the process..

Take the Pro Football Hall of Fame stuff..WKDD always targeted the Balloon Launch portion of the event..never bothering to focus on Ribs Burnoff or other stuff..they knew where their listeners would be, and targeted them..

Its why WHOF is a station with a bright future..and why WHBC-FM is a station with a long slow decline in front of them..

 

[1sttimecaller]

Why does Canton not have a major signal catering to the black/urban community?

 

[kentuckymedia]

ZKL fits a great niche in the market, so does KDD - HOF - RQK - HBC. They all have their problems and they all have their up-sides. I would say the best operation award goes to ZKL hands down. I know many people have their Children of the Corn stories, but its still in the family and John Stewart is hands down the best programmer in Canton. Keith is pretty close though.

As for blasting HBC. Its kinda pointless. KDD and HOF will never beat HBC. Yes, their ratings went down a bit, but remember...they do have a name. Here is their other advantage - CLEAR CHANNEL.

CC is a mess right now, and with the major budget hold and staff changes and one person programming 30 stations CC is going to go through even more problems in the coming months. They just went private...Dont look for Bain holding onto KDD, HOF, RQK, HLO none of them. They will get sold to an operator who either wants to keep them locally focused or an operator who wants to make a quick buck.

My bets on Connoisseur trying to pick those stations up if they ever go onto the offering block.

 

[Speaker of Truth]

''Why does Canton not have a major signal catering to the black/urban community''?

How would you sell it? If you've spent any time there, you'd know the vast majority of African Americans there aren't exactly tearing it up from an economic standpoint.

You would certainly pick up some listeners, and could get some suburban white kids in the process..but Cleveland radio tends to serve their needs at 107.9..


''As for blasting HBC. Its kinda pointless. KDD and HOF will never beat HBC.''

Wrong..get your hands on a Canton book and take a look at the tank job WHBC-FM just turned in..HOF is poised for growth..and as I've pointed out, Clear Channel is already beating WHBC-FM where it counts..on the streets, with salespeople who have solid 25-54 numbers to sell..

'KDD has never focused on Canton..outside of throwing up some Matt and Angie Billboards, they've zeroed in on Jackson Township and the suburbs where six figure homes are being built as fast as the concrete can be poured..

''My bets on Connoisseur trying to pick those stations up if they ever go onto the offering block.''


Connoisseur has taken at hard look at WHBC-FM, but won't have anything to do with the AM, according to what I've been told..Connoisseur has no interest in AM radio from any angle..Would Clear Channel actually sell its FM properties in Northeast Ohio..of course..but 'KDD and 'HOF would fetch a nice price, and have rightsized to a point where they are cost effective to run...''cost effective'' was something Next Media didn't learn until it was far too late..

Give me WHBC-FM to run..and I'd take Kidd Kraddick and get better results in morning drive for far less money..VT weekends and overnights..VT nights and get rid of John Tesh..and I could have the thing in the black within a year..and that would make Denver love me..

 

[Radiologist]

Canton OH is a slum..nothing more..why WHBC-AM and FM continue to focus on Canton is beyond comprehension..

I was referring to the Canton Metro --- not just Downtown Canton. Unless you're looking to see a cheap movie at the Palace or buying some "adult" books, there's nothing going on Downtown. Yes, you'd have to target Jackson Township big time.

Someone once asked Jesse James why he robbed banks. His answer was "'cause that's where the money is." In the Canton Metro, Jackson Township is the bank. Of course, you'd have to target it.

 

[OhReally?]

ZKL fits a great niche in the market, so does KDD - HOF - RQK - HBC. They all have their problems and they all have their up-sides. I would say the best operation award goes to ZKL hands down. I know many people have their Children of the Corn stories, but its still in the family and John Stewart is hands down the best programmer in Canton.

I disagree. Did you get paid to actually write this?? ;D

As for blasting HBC. Its kinda pointless. KDD and HOF will never beat HBC. Yes, their ratings went down a bit, but remember...they do have a name.

I disagree. I think WHBC-FM is very vulnerable. WKDD and WHOF are the ultimate "1-2 punch" to WHBC.

 

[YEKIMI]

I quit listening to Q92 when I woke up one day and they had switched from oldies to the garbage they're playing now.